1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a certifying system, method, program, and computer readable medium which certifies the existence of prescribed electronic information, and in particular relates to a system, method, program, and a computer readable medium which is capable of certifying the release of prescribed electronic information on a network.
2. Discussion of the Background
A method and system for certifying the existence of electronic information on a specified date are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,136,647, 5,136,646, 5,373,561, and 5,781,629, and U.S. Reissued Pat. No. 34,954.
However, such a technology does not certify the release of specified electronic information on an Internet or the like.
Further, recently technical information is increasingly being disclosed on the Internet or the like, which technical information includes contents similar to those released in a form of a magazine or a book. Moreover, such communication on the Internet may be more prompt than a conventional publication. Thus, investigators also increasingly utilize the Internet or the like to promptly publish his or her investigation results.
Further, since the transmission of information via the Internet is easy and not costly when compared with a conventional publication, a lot of information is being released on the Internet or the like. Even if the conventional technology can certify the existence of electronic information, it can not certify the release of electronic information on the Internet or the like. In such a case, i.e., if the release of a prescribed fact on an Internet or the like is not certified, a patent can possibly be obtained by another person even if its contents are the same as in information released on the Internet.
In addition, technical information released on the Internet or the like has substantially the same effect as a publication. As a result, a clause has been newly established in the Japanese Patent Law that an invention available to the public through an electronic communication line before filing cannot be patented. However, it is difficult to certify a prescribed fact such as when technical information has been released on the Internet or the like, and whether the released technical information has been changed. Thus, there generally is a drawback of less reliability of certifying such a fact on the Internet than certifying such a fact in a conventional publication.
On the other hand, a document utilized such as on the Internet is generally made such as by a hypertext markup language (hereinafter referred to as an HTML), and generally includes a variety of objets that occasionally are embedded inline therein. In these objects, some objects that occasionally require a Plug-in software for Browser use and/or an accessory application and any of one a static image, an animation, a sound, and a Java(™ of Sun Microsystems Corporation) Applet may be included. A document generated such as by the HTML with embedded objects generally constitute, in combination, electronic information released such as on the Internet to the public.
Further, a hyperlink occasionally is connected to a document generated such as by an HTML. An object is occasionally provided including a document generated such as by an HTM to be referred to as an external resource. However, the electronic information released such as on the Internet is generally constructed by supposing that the electronic information is inspected in an online manner. Therefore, if the electronic information is locally preserved (i.e., stored in a storing device of a PC), an objet either embedded or referred to occasionally is not available from the electronic information because the hyperlink is disconnected. As a result, it can not be noted and accordingly not certified after the end of the release on the network (i.e., Internet) what electronic information was released on the network.